Editing Meet the Primarchs (Warhammer High) (section)

==Meeting Magnus the Red==

Standing outside the massive door, Castor shifted nervously from foot to foot. He was always nervous when he visited Miranda, even more than when he was around most girls, but today he had to meet her father. Castor couldn’t help but gulp when the door was answered not by Miranda, but by her father Magnus the Red. The man filled the entire door frame as he boomed, “You are the boy Castor, here to see my daughter.” 

For a moment Castor stood dumbstruck looking at the single red eye, and then Miranda’s advice came back to him. “Don’t stare at the eye. He’s not embarrassed about it, but…just don’t stare at the eye.” Castor quickly dropped his gaze to the giant’s chest and stuck out his hand. “Yes, Mr. Magnus. I’m Castor,” he answered as if the primarch’s words had been a question and not a statement.  
 
“It is simply Magnus,” the cyclops said, ignoring the offered hand, which was just as well as he would have easily crushed the boy’s. “Now come inside, Miranda should be down shortly provided she hasn’t gotten lost in another book.”

Inside the house was furnished oddly, half the chairs sized for giants such as the Magnus and his brothers, and half for mortals.  Magnus settled himself into one of the massive chairs and eyed the young man. Castor, eager to escape the Primarch’s gaze, quickly walked over to one of the massive bookcases lining the walls and began scanning the titles. “See anything interesting?” came the deep rumble from the chair.

“Umm… err… yes, actually,” Castor replied, “On the Movement of Unseen Sphere, in the original Tsath-Yo.” Magnus’ single eyebrow rose slightly. “In truth the Tsath-Yo is only the first translation, admittedly done by Witoshen himself,” Magnus remarked haughtily, “Still your choice shows some intelligence, and an admirable interest in arcane lore.” 

“Thank you sir” 

“I would expect no less from someone seeking to date my daughter.” 

“Yes sir,” Castor thought it better than to comment that he had already been dating Miranda for almost a month now. 

“You are not a pysker yourself though,” Magnus’s voice dripped with contempt over the statement.

"No sir, but at least I am not a null."

Magnus grunted, and then sat staring at Castor in silence for a time.  The ticking of a chrono could be heard, though Castor could not see any in the room.  After what seemed like an eternity under the cyclops’ gaze, Magnus looked towards the stairs. “What is keeping that girl?," he muttered.

<MIRANDA! THE BOY IS HERE! GET YOUR NOSE OUT OF A BOOK AND GET DOWN HERE!>

The psychic broadcast thundered inside of Castor’s head. Magnus then turned his head as if listening to a far off voice. Standing up from the chair, the Primarch walked out without saying a word and ascended the stairs.

Opening the door to his daughter’s bedroom, Magnus inquired, his deep voice oddly soft, “You wanted to ask me something?”

“Does this dress look good on me?” Miranda asked, doing a little twirl in front of her father. 

Magnus expression softened as it always did when with his daughter, “You always look beautiful.”

Miranda frowned, “Of course you say that. I meant will Castor like this on me?” 

“I don’t know what you see in that boy,” Magnus said keeping his voice level, “That flatscan can’t possibly be good enough for you.” 

“Daddy, I like him, and he’s nice and smart, and he says I’m pretty, and he doesn’t call me a freak like the others.”

“Who calls you a freak?” Magnus interrupted the stream of words rushing from his daughter, rage visible on his face, “Tell me their names and I’ll make them regret they were ever born.”

The small bookish girl stood defiant before the giant’s anger, “Dad you’re missing the point; I like him so don’t go scaring him away.  I’m sure you will like him too if you just give him a chance.” 

“I doubt that,” Magnus grumbled, but eventually gave before his daughter’s resolve, “but I will try, for your sake.” 

“Good. Now does this dress look good on me?” 

“Of course,” Magnus said, then seeing her face sighed and added, “I’m sure Castor will like it.” Miranda smiled then shooed her father out of the room saying, “I’ll be down in a moment, just need to clean up.”

Walking down the stairs Magnus saw Castor was sitting in one of the smaller human sized chairs, reading through ‘On the Movement’. “So you can read Tsath-Yo?” His voice filled the room. 
Castor nearly jumped out his seat, “Yes Sir. I taught myself a few years ago.” 

“So young, I’m impressed,” Magnus said as he walked into the room, “and drop the Sirs.” 
Castor was confused at the change in Magnus’ attitude, and suspected a trap. The Primarch was known to be a tricky one. Still, he was glad that someone other than Miranda was finally impressed by his knowledge of Tsath-Yo. Few people even knew the language existed. “I thought it important to read works in their original language. Though I guess I was wrong in this case.” 

“An understandable mistake; only a handful of people know of the language of the original,” Magnus reassured him. 

“And what language is that?” Castor asked. 

“No one knows,” Magnus replied, his voice contemplative, “‘On the Movement of Unseen Spheres’ is the only surviving work in that language. Indeed, it may have been invented for that work.” Magnus paused for a moment in thought. Yes, if the boy’s mind could survive that intact, he just might be strong enough for daughter.  “Follow,” he said as he turned towards the back of the house.  Castor carefully replaced the book before following the Primarch down the hall.

At the end of the hall was a large metal door, adorned with a massive adamantine lock and golden runes. Magnus pulled out a golden key engraved with arcane scripts and chanted while opening the lock. He gestured for Castor to remain behind as he entered the room. Through the door Castor could see more bookcases lining the walls, but unlike those in the hall these were locked, their glass fronts frosted to obscure the contents within. Magnus returned holding a large tome bound in some strange dark hide. He held the book out to Castor.  It felt strangely warm in Castor’s hands, and the runes on the cover seemed to squirm before his eyes. Holding his breath, he opened the tome. The bizarre script on the left page meant nothing to him, but he recognized the hand-drawn figure on the right, though it was far more detailed than in any previous version he had seen. As he examined it in more detail he felt his mind rebelling against the symbols and their meaning, but Castor steeled his will and was able to make some sense of the script surrounding the figure. Tearing his eyes from the page, Castor turned to Magnus and asked, “Is this...?” 

“Yes, the original in Witoshen’s own language,” Magnus replied before taking the book from Castor. As Magnus returned the book to its locked case, he smiled to himself. Not only had Castor survived opening the book, he had even managed to recognize what it was from a single figure. Maybe Miranda was right, he was starting to like to young scholar.

In the hall Castor was still recovering when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He turned to see Miranda descending, looking to his eyes more radiant and beautiful than ever. She was wearing a blue and yellow dress and had put on makeup, somewhat clumsily but Castor never noticed. 

Seeing Castor standing in front of the open door to the back library Miranda scowled, “Daddy didn’t try to scare you with one of his books did he?” 

“What? No,” Castor said still a little dazed from seeing the book and the beautiful girl, “He was just showing me a volume I’d expressed interest in.” 

Incredulous, Miranda asked, “Then why is your nose bleeding?” 

“Is it?” Castor held a handkerchief up to his nose to stop the thin trickle, “Erm, well I guess you’re just that beautiful.” Miranda laughed, and then pulled Castor’s hand away to kiss him. Castor returned the kiss, wrapping the hand not holding the handkerchief around her. Miranda broke the kiss to shout through the open door, “Daddy, me and Castor are going out.” 

“What? Oh right, sorry I got distracted reading.” Magnus called from within the library. Miranda giggled, “He does that all the time.” Remembering Magnus’s comments from earlier Castor couldn’t help but smirk as he followed Miranda out. Guess the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree. “I heard that, boy! Be home by eleven.” Magnus’s voice boomed out after them.